NPC board of ministers unconstitutional – Governor

Governor of the Northern Province (NPC), Reginald Cooray has asked NPC Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran to appoint a new board of ministers.

The existing provincial council board of ministers has more members than the constitutionally prescribed number. The Constitution says the number of ministers must be limited to five, but there are six ministers in the NPC currently.

The Northern Provincial Council had no legal authority to administer the province, Cooray told The Island. Given the situation, the best option was for the current ministers to resign and to appoint a new provincial council cabinet, he said.

Last year Wigneswaran sacked two provincial council ministers, Education Minister T. Kurukularaja and Agriculture Minister P. Ingaranesan, over corruption and fraud allegations. Ingaranesan has filed a case against his expulsion in the Court of Appeals, which has granted leave to proceed. There are now six ministers in NPC.

“I have no power to appoint or remove a provincial minister. Only the Chief Minister can do so. Wigneswaran needs to find a solution to this issue,” Cooray told The Island.